Gage block assembly



P 1958 E. ELLSTROM, sR 2,853,786

GAGE BLOCK ASSEMBLY Fi led Jan. 51, 1955 I 1|:a-.- L TIE-.5

IN V EN TOR.

ELMER [us man 51?. BY

5/1/ TH 015mm A fron/vsvs GAGE BLOCK ASSEMBLY Elmer Ellstrom, Sr.,Dearborn, Mich., assignor to Dear- This invention relates to a gageblock assembly and particularly to such an assembly which can beemployed to accurately measure a plurality of diiferent linear distanceswith a minimum of block changes and manipulations.-

. It is well known of course that very accurate measurements can be madeby bringing a number of standard dimension gage blocks together inwringing engagement whereby to form a block assembly of the desireddimension. In order to prevent the blocks from being separated from'oneanother, as by the assembly being inadvertently pushed over or upset, ithas been proposed to provide mechanisms for mechanically (as opposed towringingly) holding the blocks together. In one instance such holdingmechanism comprised a series of tie rods extending through alignedapertures in the blocks. With known types of blocks however the use ofsuch tie rods' has not proven entirely satisfactory because each time itwas desired to change the overall dimension of the block assembly it wasnecessary to disassemble the tie rods before adding or removing blocks.If it was desired to add or remove a comparatively large number ofblocks United States Patent F it was necessary to employ differentlength tie rods. If

the blocks were merely held in their assembled positions by reason oftheir wringing engagements there was'of course the danger that theassembly'would be inadvertently separated by being pushed over orotherwise upset.

With prior art block constructions it is necessary when making changesin the block assembly dimension to disengage or engage a number of theblocks according to the desired change in block assembly length. Somedegree of care is necessary in order to bring the blocks into wringingengagement, and it is desirable therefore to maintain the number ofblock manipulations at a minimum. When no mechanical holding means iprovided the number of block manipulations is undesirably high since itis common practice to completely disassemble the block assembly aftereach period of use and it is therefore necessary to completelyreassemble the blocks before it is again possible to make a measurement.

One object of the present invention is to provide a gage block assemblywhich can be employed to accurately indicate a plurality of differentlinear distances with a minimum of block manipulations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gage block assemblywherein the individual blocks are mechanically interlocked, and whereinany of several measurements can be made without unlocking or otherwisedissociating the blocks from one another.

This objectis accomplished by constructing each of the blocks with anotch or recess therein, whereby when a plurality of the blocks areassembled together in superposed relation there are formed a pluralityof accurately spaced shoulders, each of which is of sufficient dimensionto wringingly receive a known size gage block. The block assembly may beemployed to measure any of a plurality of dimensions by merelypositioning one or more blocks on the appropriate shoulder. Thus if theblock assembly 2,8533% Patented Sept. so, 1958 ice includes seven oneinch blocks it is possible to measure any distance up to seven incheswithout in any way disassembling the block assembly. If the distance'tobe measured is two and one half inches the measurement may be madebypositioning a half inch block on the shoulder surface of the secondblock. If the distance to be measured is four and one half inches themeasurement may be made by positioning ahalf inch block on theshoulder'surface of the fourth block.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gage block assemblywherein each block is recessed for the reception of a conventional gageblock and wherein the surfaces formed by said recesses need not be heldwithin any critical tolerances, whereby'no more close machining isrequired than with conventional gage block constructions. a

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein'like referencecharacters'designate corresponding parts in the several views. p

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the invention. j

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a gage block employed in the Figure lembodiment.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1. p

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the gage block shown in Figure 2. I I

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a gage. block employed in conjunctionwith the gage block shown'in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of an extension block which can beemployedin conjunction with the apparatus shown in Figure l. r v

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways; Also,it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Figure l the illustratedembodiment will be seen to include a gage block assembly 20 comprised ofa block 1 on which are positioned a plurality of blocks 2. Block 1 iscircular in plan except for three cut away portions 3, 4 and 5 which areprovided for reducing the weight of said block. There are formed onblock 1 a pair of finely finished parallel surfaces 6 and 7, each ofwhich is provided with a groove 8. The purpose of grooves 8 is to reducethe area of surfaces 6 and 7, whereby when said surfaces are in wringingengagement with surfaces (to be described later) block 1 can bedisengaged with no more than a reasonable etfort. Blocks 2 are eachprovided with a pair of finely finished parallel surfaces 9 and 10,whereby a plurality of said blocks may be brought into wringingengagement with each other and block 1 as shown in Figure 1. Each ofblocks 1 and 2 is provided with a central aperture 11. A countersink 12is provided in block 1 and the uppermost one of blocks 2 foraccommodating the heads of a tie rod (not shown). Any'convenient form oftie rod may be employed, one suitable form being that shown in U. S.Patent No. 1,514,525 issued to W. E. Hoke. The purpose of the tie rod isto mechanically hold the gage blocks together whereby they will notbecome separated as by being inadvertently overturned or upset.

It would be possible to formall of blocks 2 out of a single block exceptthat it would be extremely difficult to simultaneously hold thetolerances on all of surfaces 9. By forming each of blocks 2 as aseparate element" only two surfaces (9 and 10) need be simultaneouslyheld within close tolerances.

It will be noted that each block 2 includes an enlarged rectangularportion 13 and a reduced cylindrical portion 14 whereby to form a recess15 for the accommodation of a gage block 16.; I H V Block 15 isconsiderably longer in the direction-of arrow A (Fig.v 1) than aconventionalblock, whereby to form a surface 22 extending beyondthe'lateral limits of blocks 2 foraccommodating conventional gage blooks17 and 23. Blocks 16' and 17 are of course provided with finely finishedparallel-surfaces for their wringing engagement with each other and withsurfaces 9 formed on block 2. The vertical dimensions of blocks 1 and 2may be varied but the preferred vertical dimension for each of blocks 1and 2 is one inch.

The use of block 16 and conventional gage blocks in conjunction withblocks 2 permits the accurate measurement ofany distance less than thetotal length of assembly without separating or removing any of blocks 2.Thus when block 1 is positionedon a flat surface 18 and it is desired toaccurately measure an unknown distance X- the measurement can be made bypositioning block 16 on the fourth shouldereforrning surface 9 a asindicated in Fig. 1. Other distances may; be measured by employing otherblocks (such as 17) on blocks 16 or appropriate ones of surfaces 9. Itwill be appreciated that the number and dimension of blocks 2 can bevaried according to the distance which it is necessary to measure.

If desired the apparatus may be used in conjunction with the extensionblock- 19 shown in Fig. 6. As there shown block 19 is similar to block 1except that'block 19 is of greater vertical dimension than block 1 andblock 19'is provided with a plurality of through holes 21 for reducingthe weight of said block. Block 19 is utilized in those cases when itisdesired to confine the measuring process to distances greater than thelength of block 19. In'use block 19 is either substituted for block 1 orpositioned in wringing'engagement with the bottom surface of block 1.Whichever arrangement is employed an elongated tie rod (not shown) mayif desired be used to mechanically retain block 19 in fixed relation toblocks 2.

It would of course be possible toiric'rease thelength of assembly 20 bymerely adding additional blocks 2 instead of adding extension block 19.In that case however the number of surfaces 9 and 10 which would have tobe held within close tolerances would be greater than when block 19 wasemployed. Preferably therefore block 19 is employed when it is desiredto confine the measuring process to distances greater than the length ofsaid block.

I claim:

1. A gage'blcck assembly comprising a seriesof gage blocks secured onone another in 'superposedirelatiou, each of the blocks having parallelflat upper and lower facesin wringing engagement with the flat faces ofadjacent blocks, each of the blocks having a section of reduced lateraldimension whereby to form a recess, a gag-e block element positioned inone of the recesses and projecting outwardly beyond the lateral edge ofthe immediately superjacent gageblock, and a second gage block elementwringingly positioned on the upper face of the first gage block elementand extending alongside said immediately superjacent gage block.

2. A gage block assembly comprising a series of identical gageblocksisecured on one another in superposed relation; each of the blockshaving parallel fiat upper and lower faces in wringing engagement withthe fiat faces of adjacent blocks; the lower portion of the side wall ofeach of said bodies being cut away-to form a recess; a gage blockelement wringingly positioned on the upper face of one of the gageblocksand in one of the recesses and projecting outwardly beyond the side wallof the immediately superjacent gage block; and a second gage blockelement wringingly positioned on'the upper face of the first gage blockelement and extending alongside said immediately superjacent gage block.

References Cited in the file er this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

